HBA-SEB H.B. 2059 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2059
By: Uher
Juvenile Justice and Family Issues
3/18/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Family Code sets out guidelines for courts to apply when
determining the amount of child support a non-custodial parent, the
obligor, must pay.  These guidelines do not take into consideration
disability payments that a child may receive as a result of an obligor's
disability.  H.B. 2059 requires a court to subtract the amount that the
child receives in disability benefits from the amount of the obligor's
child support obligation.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 154, Family Code, by adding
Section 154.132, as follows: 

Sec. 154.132.  APPLICATION OF GUIDELINES TO CHILDREN OF CERTAIN DISABLED
OBLIGORS.  Requires a court to apply certain guidelines, in a child support
case involving a disabled obligor and a child who receives benefits as a
result of the obligor's disability, by determining the amount of child
support that would be ordered under the child support guidelines and
subtracting from that total the amount of benefits or the value of the
benefits paid to or for the child as a result of the obligor's disability.  

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
            Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.